Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 1.djvu/115

 A L M

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A L N

Por the manner of procuring the OU, of Sweet Almonds, fee the Article Oil.

Sitter Almonds, AmygdaU Amar<e, are held aperient, deterfive, and diuretick ; and on thofe Accounts commend- ed in Obftru&ions of the Liver, Spleen, Uterus, S£c— Some eileem 'em good to take off the Effects of Drunkcnnefs. Accordingly, 'Plutarch relates, that Ttrufush Phyfician, a fiout Drinker, took down at every Cup five Sitter Almonds, to allay the Heat and Fumes of the Wine.

The exprefs'd Oil of Sitter Almonds, is much ufed to foften and deterge the Wax out of the Ear.— Some affirm, that Sitter Almonds bruis'd, kill or ttupify Fowl ; fo that they may be taken with the Hands : which, they fay, is a Secret praclis'd among the Sohemians : And that the Hufks remaining after the Oil is exprefs'd, have the fame Effect.

The "Word Almond comes from the French Amende ; which Menage derives from the Latin Amandala, a Term occurring in the Capitulars of Charlemaign : Others rather derive it from the Greek dytfy fitter % which iignifies the fame thing.

Almonds give the Denomination to a great Number of Preparations in Confe&ionry, Cookery, &c. whereof they are the Balis ; as Almond Cakes, Almond Cream, Crifp'd Almonds, Almond Milk, Almond Pafte, Almond Snow, Be.

Almonds of the 7*broat, called alfo Tonfill<e, and impro- perly Almonds of the Ears. See Tonsil.

They are two round Glands, placed on the Sides of the Bails of the Tongue, under the common Membrane of the Fauces, with which they are covered. See Gland, Tongue, $$g.

Each of 'em has a large oval Sinus, which opens into the Fauces ; wherein are contain'd a great Number of leffer ones, which difcharge rhro' the great Sinus a mucous and flippery Matter into the Fauces, Larynx, and Oefophagus, for the moiftening and lubricating of thofe Parts. See La- rynx, &c.

When the Oefophagus Mufcle a£ts, it compreffes the Al- monds ; and as they are fubjeel to Inflammation, they fre- quently are the Occafion of what the common People call a jore "Throat. See Oesophagus, Raocebo, &c.

Almond, or Alm an- Furnace, is a peculiar kind of Fur- nace, ufed in Refining ; to feparate all kinds of Metals from Cinders, pans of Melting-Pots, Tefts, Bricks, gjfc. See Fur- nace, and Refining.

The Almond-Furnace, called alfo the S-zveep, is ufually fix Foot high, four wide, and two thick ; built of Brick, and having a Hole in the middle of the Top, eight Inches over ; which grows narrower towards the bottom, where, on the Fore-part it ends in a Point, encompafa'd with a Semicircle of Iron, to keep the melted Metal. — About the middle of the Back, there is another Hole, to receive the Nofe of a pair of Bellows, which require the continual Strength of two Men to work.

The Matter, then, on which the Operation is to be per- form 'd, being beat final], they kindle Charcoa|in the Fur- nace, to anneal it ; and when hot, they throw in two or three Shovelfuls of Coals to one of the foremention'd Sniff; and fo proceed during the whole Work, putting Lay upon Lay of one and the other. After eight or ten Hours the Metal begins to run ; and when the Receiver below is pret- ty full, they lade it out with an Iron Ladle, and call it in Sows, in Cavities, or Forms made with Allies.

ALMONER, antiently alfo wrote Almner, or Aumo- nier, an Officer in a King's or Prince's Houfhold, whofe bufinefs is to diftribute Alms to the Poor. See Alms.

The Lord Almoner, or Lord fflgb Almoner, is an Eccle- fiaftical Officer, who has the Forfeiture of all Deodands, and the Goods of Felo's dc fe, which he is to difpofe of to the Poor. See Deodand.

He had likewife, by an antient Cuftom, a Privilege to give the firft Di.fh from the Royal Table, to whatfoever poor Perlbn he pleafed, or, initead thereof, an Alms, in Money.

He alfo diftributes daily to 24 poor Men, nominated by the Parifhioners of the Paiim adjacent to the King's Place of Refidence, to each, %d. in Money, and an Aims of Bread and Small Beer ; each Perlbn firft repeating the Creed and the Lord's Prayer, in prefence of one of the King's Chaplains, deputed by the Lord Almoner to be his Sub- Almoner ; who is alfo to fcatter new-coin'd Two-pences in the Towns and Places thro' which the King paffes in his Pr ogre fs.

He has alfo the Charge of feveral poor Peniioners to the Crown, below Stairs ; confifling of fuch as have fpent their Youth, and become fuperannuatcd in the King's Service ■ or the Widows of luch Houfhold Servants as died poor, and were not able to provide for their Wives and Children, whom he duly pays.

Under the Lord Almoner is a Sub- Almoner, a Teoman, and tivrj Grooms of the Almonry, chofen by his Lordfhip.

ALMONRY, or Aumry, the Office or Lodgings ot the Almoner ■> alfo the Place where the Alms are given.

ALMS, Eteemofyna, fomething given out of Charity r Liberality, to the Poor. See Charity, Almoner, ^ c

The Romanifis alfo extend the Term to what is given to the Church, or other pious Ufes. — Hence, what the Church holds on this footing, is called Tenure in Alms • for accord ing to Rajlal, Alms, or ^tenure in Alms, is Tenure by Di- vine Service. See Tenure, and Service.

The EcclcfiafHcks were antiently fubfifled wholly on Aim' See Clergy, Tithe, &c. .

The Alms of the primitive Chrifiians were divided into three Parts ; one whereof belonged to the Bifhops, another to the Priefts, and a third to the Deacons and Subdeacons — Sometimes they divided 'em into four ; the laft whereof went to the Poor, and the Repairing of Churches.

Chrodedang, Bifhop of Met-z, in the VHIth Century, en- joins, in the Aid Chapter of his Rule, that a Priefl to whom any thing was offer 'd for faying of Mafs, or for Con- feffion ; or a Clerk for ringing of Pfalms, or Hymns ; fhould not receive ir on ony other Condition than as Alms.

M. Tillemont obferves, upon the 'Theodojian Code, p. 257. that from the IVth Century there were Women emplov'd to collect Alms for the Prifoners. In all probability thefe were the DeaconefTcs of the Churches. See Deaconess.

Sr. Paul, in his fecond Epifile to the Corinthians, C. IX. explains the manner of collecting Alms in the Affemblies

of the primitive Chriftians. -This Practice they had bor-

row'd from the Jewijb Synagogue, where it {till obtains. Leon de Modena defcribes it in the ift Book of the Ceremo- nies and Cu(lo?iis of thofe of his Nation, C. XIV.

The 54*1 call Alms, Tfedeka, i. e. Juftice.— The Evan- gelifts and Apoflles have alfo given it the fame Appellation in the New Teftament.

ALMSFEOH, or Almesfeok, among our Saxon An- ceftors, Alms-Mojtey ; that is Peter- pence, antiently paid in England on the firft of Avgnfh; called alfo Romefeoh, Rome- fcot, and Hearthpening. See ^WE-K-Pence.

KLNLS-Houfe, a Houfe built by a Perfbn in a private Ca- pacity, and endow'd with a Revenue, for the Maintenanc& of a certain Number of poor, aged, or difabled People. See Hospital.

ALMUCANTARS, Almacantaras, or Almocan- tarats, in Aflronomy, are Circles parallel to the Horizon, imagin'd to pafs thro* all the Degrees of the Meridian. See Circle, and Horizon. See Parallel.

As the Meridians pafs thro' the feveral Degrees of the Equator ; the Alnmcantars pafs thro' thofe of the Meridian of any Place. See Meridian.

The Almucantars are the fame Thing with regard to the Azimuths and Horizon, that the Parallels are with regard to the Meridians and Horizon.

They ferve to fhew the He-ght of the Sun and Stars ; and are defcribed on many Quadrants, g£c. being alfo called (Parallels of Altitude. See Parallel of Altitude'.

The Word is form'd of the Arabic Almocantharat.

Almucantars-^W^, is an Instrument ufually made of Pear-tree or Box, with an Arch of 15 Degrees ; chiefly ufed to take Obfervations of the Sun, about the Time of its ri- ling and fetting 5 in order to find the Amplitude, and confe- quently the Variations of the Compafs. See Amplitude, and Variation.

ALNAGE, or Aulnage, q.d. Ell-meafurc 5 the mea- furing of woollen Manufactures with an Ell $ and the other Functions of the Alnager. See Alnager.

The Word is French 5 form'd of Aune, or Abie, an Ell. See Ell.

All our Laws relating to the Alnage, Sir J. Child obferves, contribute nothing to the well making of our Manufactures, but are rather chargeable, and prejudicial thereto.

ALNAGER, Alneger, or Aulneger, q. d. a Meafth rer by the Ell ; fignifies a fworn publick Officer, who, by himfelf or Deputy, is to look to the Affize of woollen Cloth made thro' the Land, i. e. the Length, Width, and Work thereof; and to the Seals for that purpofe ordained. See Alnage, Cloth, $c.

There are now three Officers relating to the Alnage or Regulation of Cloth ; all which were antiently compriz'd in one Perfon. — Thefe bear the diflinft Names of Searcher, Meafurer, and Alnager.

A Duty being impofed on woollen Cloths, for the Mainte- nance of an Office to look to that Manufacture, and the Loyalty, as they call it, of the Stuffs produced therein ; the Alnager, who had the Direction of the whole, is now be- come only the Collector of that Duty or Subfidy granted to the King : tho he ftill holds the antient Denomination, be- caufe the Collection of that Subfidy was committed to him* — Nor was he abridg'd of his Meafuring and Searching, till by his own neglect it was thought proper to feparate the two Offices. So that there is now a peculiar Meafurer, di- ftinct from the Alnager, or Collector, to allow the Affize of the Length and Breadth of every Cloth made in Eng '"' and Wales,

■2 ALOES,